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Part of the Heath Family (NW)

History

At Daresbury Primary School, we want every child to SHINE as a historian. Our History curriculum encourages children to be curious about the past, ask questions and develop a secure understanding of the people, events and societies that have shaped Britain and the wider world.

We want children to understand that History is more than remembering dates and events. Through studying the past, children learn to consider how and why things happened, what changed and what stayed the same, and how we know about the past. They are encouraged to think critically, examine evidence and recognise that the past can be represented and interpreted in different ways.

Our History curriculum is part of our trust-wide curriculum and is carefully sequenced so that children progressively build and connect their historical knowledge, vocabulary and understanding as they move through school. Children revisit important knowledge and concepts, enabling them to make connections between different periods and develop an increasingly secure understanding of chronology and change over time.

Historical Knowledge and Skills

In accordance with the National Curriculum, children develop their knowledge and understanding of British, local and world history while developing the skills needed to think and work as historians.

Throughout their time at Daresbury, children are given regular opportunities to:

  • develop a secure chronological understanding of the past;

  • learn about significant people, events, societies and periods in British and world history;

  • identify similarities and differences between periods and societies;

  • explore change and continuity over time;

  • consider the causes and consequences of significant historical events;

  • make connections between different periods of history;

  • ask and investigate historical questions;

  • use a range of historical sources and evidence to find out about the past;

  • consider the reliability and usefulness of historical evidence;

  • recognise that the past can be interpreted and represented in different ways;

  • use appropriate historical vocabulary to communicate their knowledge and ideas.

Children are encouraged to think historically, drawing on their growing knowledge to make connections, identify patterns and explain how people, events and developments have influenced the world in which we live today.

Historical Enquiry and Evidence

Historical enquiry is an important part of our History curriculum. Children learn that our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources and evidence, and they develop the skills needed to examine these carefully and thoughtfully.

Children have opportunities to explore sources such as artefacts, photographs, written accounts, maps and other historical evidence. They learn to ask questions about what sources can tell us, consider their usefulness and recognise that different sources may provide different perspectives on the past.

As children progress through school, they become increasingly confident in asking historical questions, selecting and interpreting evidence, making connections and using evidence to support their conclusions.

History and SHINE

History makes an important contribution to our Daresbury SHINE framework: Safe, Healthy, Independent, Nurturing and Exploring.

Safe – Children explore how societies and communities have developed over time and consider how decisions and events in the past have shaped people's lives and the world today.

Healthy – Children learn about people's lives and experiences in the past, including how living conditions, medicine, health and society have changed over time.

Independent – Children develop confidence in asking questions, examining evidence, forming their own conclusions and explaining their historical thinking.

Nurturing – Children develop empathy and respect by exploring the experiences and perspectives of people from different times, cultures and societies.

Exploring – Children are encouraged to be curious about the past, investigate historical questions, examine evidence and discover how and why societies have changed over time.

History Beyond the Classroom

We want children to understand that History is not simply something that happens in a lesson. Evidence of the past can be found in our local area, buildings, objects, stories, museums and the wider world around us.

Where possible, children have opportunities to enrich their historical learning through educational visits, visitors, workshops, artefacts and experiences linked to the periods they study. These experiences help to bring History to life and allow children to make meaningful connections between classroom learning and the wider world.

Children also develop an understanding of local history, helping them to recognise how their own community and the surrounding area have changed over time and how local stories connect with wider national and global history.

Our aim is for children to leave Daresbury as curious, knowledgeable and thoughtful historians with a secure chronological understanding of the past and the ability to ask questions, examine evidence and make informed conclusions. We want them to understand how the past has shaped the world in which they live and to continue to be curious about the people, events and experiences that came before them.

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